Health Insurance

somesoldiers

LirW wrote: »

Afaik Private health insurance covers the room but not always the consultant and if only with the better insurance plans. In a lot of cases the consultant has to be paid from the patients.

Yip about 5k to go private on top as far as I recall

Greyfox

No health insurance, it's a luxury I simply can't afford. Its been about 10 years since I was last in hospital so needing it is not on my radar. I do realise something terrible could happen to me this year and id be fooked, sadly it's going to take something happening to me to make me reconsider.

Lia_lia

LirW wrote: »

Afaik Private health insurance covers the room but not always the consultant and if only with the better insurance plans. In a lot of cases the consultant has to be paid from the patients.

Mine covers €865 towards consulant fees. So it’s something. Still wouldn’t go private though. Seems like a waste of money just to see the same consultant and have a private room. Anyone I’ve spoken to (in Cork anyway) that has gone public says they had great care and wouldn’t pay for going private. Although I do know some people that went private as they were worried about things going wrong and wanted the extra peace of mind.

Gael23

Greyfox wrote: »

No health insurance, it's a luxury I simply can't afford. Its been about 10 years since I was last in hospital so needing it is not on my radar. I do realise something terrible could happen to me this year and id be fooked, sadly it's going to take something happening to me to make me reconsider.

I don’t see it as a luxury, it’s next to food for me, that one thing I will always do without something to pay for. But then I have experience of the public system and how people are treated without are treated it so I suppose I see it differently.

Mossy Monk

I don't have health insurance. It's impossible to have when going through college. I am also past the cut off so I get increased premiums due to my age. It is the public health service for me until I finish college.

rainbow kirby

I'm in the UK - I have health insurance through work but have only used it once in the almost 5 years I've had it. No maternity cover though on that policy so I've gone public on the NHS for my 2 kids and have been well looked after both times, whether it was the easy birth or the 9 day stay in hospital.

If I was to move back to Ireland I would be making bloody sure we had a good family policy. The waits for treatment for children on the public system are disgraceful.

New Home

Does anyone know if palliative care is covered by HI, and would it be much different from what you'd get with the public health system?

seamus

As far as I can tell there are no palliative care services being covered by any of the health insurers. That's not to say that they don't, it just doesn't seem to be listed.

There is private palliative care available, and I wonder if this is something that gets covered by life assurance moreso than health insurance.

That said, I've never heard any complaints about the palliative care provided on the public system. It can to a certain extent be hard to get someone admitted to it if they don't have cancer or MND, but otherwise I've never heard anyone say that terminally ill people receive substandard palliative care.

New Home

Thanks for that Seamus.

Agricola

I've used it a couple of times for minor operations. I've had to reduce it down to a basic starter policy for myself now as it's just ridiculous, have often thought of getting rid but keep it up as long as it's just about manageable.

My father is on a decent policy for years which he has gotten some use out of. Most recently it was a bowl cancer scare. The cover allowed him to go to a private clinic and be seen in no time. The final bill to the insurance company was big, so the end result of him getting the all clear and not having to pay out for the treatment was great. He wouldn't be without it, and shouldn't be really at his age.

jjbrien

I seen the 2 different systems first had with insurance and without.

Few years ago had to get a small operation at Blancharstown hospital. They put me on the public list and said I had to wait. I called a few times as I was bleeding and they didnt seem to care too much, then I mentioned I had VHI though work to the lady on the phone she then said let me get you Mr X's private secretary she booked me in for 3 days later. On arrival at the hospital the consultant not an intern did the operation and even made the bed for me. I was shocked as had my appendix out a year before with the same man and I never seen him when I had a medical card.

Its kinda sad to have this two tier system but it is what it is. Still better than amercia.

_Kaiser_

rainbow kirby wrote: »

If I was to move back to Ireland I would be making bloody sure we had a good family policy. The waits for treatment for children on the public system are disgraceful.

I agree with the sentiment, but is this attitude not feeding the problem?

By people paying to skip the queue, combined with procedures being charged at much higher rates to insurance companies (which in turn are passed on through premiums I assume), combined with the subsequent diversion of specialists into private practice, they're supporting and in fact encouraging the current split-level system.

It also allows Government to long-finger the actual solutions because people will pay these premiums if they can afford it at all (as evidenced by this thread). Suppose it brings in more tax, but it does nothing to address the issues.

Don't get me wrong.. I understand why people will do this, but I'm just saying that long term it's not really a great option for medical care generally.

jjbrien

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

I agree with the sentiment, but is this attitude not feeding the problem?

By people paying to skip the queue, combined with procedures being charged at much higher rates to insurance companies (which in turn are passed on through premiums I assume), combined with the subsequent diversion of specialists into private practice, they're supporting and in fact encouraging the current split-level system.

It also allows Government to long-finger the actual solutions because people will pay these premiums if they can afford it at all (as evidenced by this thread). Suppose it brings in more tax, but it does nothing to address the issues.

Don't get me wrong.. I understand why people will do this, but I'm just saying that long term it's not really a great option for medical care generally.

I fully agree with your points. I would love to see us move to a better system than what we currently have. People working most people get insurance from their jobs.

What I would love to see is a level playing field where if you work your employer pays and if you dont the government pays but everyone gets the same care no matter how much money they have. So you can go to a private hospital or government one if you want. Would take a major shift in policy but the powers that be want to keep it the way it is.

Foweva Awone

Foweva Awone wrote: »

I use mine a LOT for psychiatric care. It's absolutely well worth it for that if nothing else. Mental illness can affect you at any stage of your life, and trust me - having had numerous in-patient experiences of both the public and the private system, there is no comparison. If you're having an acute crisis, you're unlikely to have the time or the motivation to wait around for a public bed.

I'm currently an in-patient in a private psychiatric hospital, I think it costs around €500 a night. I had a crisis and was admitted almost immediately, and am receiving top standard care from an expert team who know me very well. I think this admission will end up lasting around a month, so you're talking 15 grand - even if I don't end up using/needing my health insurance again for anything this year, it'll have paid for itself several times over. (I've had many similar or longer stints over the past couple of years. VHI probably hate me! )

Good luck with everything!

joeysoap

On the insurance policy I have with my wife the individual everyday expenses excess is €150. But as a couple I notice the excess is quoted as €450.

I am going to query it but if it transpires to be correct I will not be renewing but will take out two separate policies. As this obviously affects more than me, is there any reason for couples not to take out individual policys, as against two on one policy if the excess is quoted as family excess?

joeysoap

Got a reply from LAYA. 2 persons count as a family for yearly expenses. Therefore it would make more sense for a couple (with no children) to take out two seperate policies, even if it’s the same plan.